Efficient use of assigning resources in the uplink of a wireless communication network

A system for assigning resources in a wireless communication system, comprising:

• a processing node configured to:
• select, from a plurality of wireless devices, a first wireless device and a second wireless device each with a signal condition that meets a signal condition threshold;
• encode first data addressed to the first wireless device by multiplying the first data with a first masking code, the first data being encoded based on the signal condition of the first wireless device;
• encode second data addressed to the second wireless device by multiplying the second data with a second masking code different from the first masking code, the second data being encoded based on the signal condition of the second wireless device;
• when the encoded first data and the encoded second data exceeds a resource element threshold, assign the encoded first data and the encoded second data to a plurality of resource blocks in a data transmission frame,
• wherein each resource block in the plurality of resource blocks comprises a plurality of frequency subcarriers over a predetermined time period, and
• wherein the assignment minimizes a total number of resource blocks, in the data transmission frame, assigned to the encoded first data and the encoded second data addressed to the first wireless device and the second wireless device;
• and
• when the encoded first data and the encoded second data does not exceed the resource element threshold, assign the encoded first data and the encoded second data within a single resource block of the plurality of resource blocks.

A method of assigning resources in a wireless communication system, comprising:

• encoding first data addressed to a first wireless device by multiplying the first data with a first masking code;
• encoding second data addressed to a second wireless device by multiplying the second data with a second masking code different from the first masking code, wherein the first wireless device and the second wireless device are each selected from a plurality of wireless devices whose signal strengths meet a signal strength threshold;
• when the encoded first data and the encoded second data meets or exceeds a resource element threshold, assigning the encoded first data and the encoded second data to a plurality of resource blocks in a data transmission frame,
• wherein each resource block in the plurality of resource blocks comprises a plurality of frequency subcarriers over a predetermined time period, and
• wherein the assignment reduces a total number of resource blocks, in the data transmission frame, assigned to the encoded first data and the encoded second data addressed to the first wireless device and the second wireless device;
• and
• when the encoded first data and the encoded second data does not meet or exceed the resource element threshold, assigning the encoded first data and the encoded second data within a single resource block of the plurality of resource blocks.